More From Patsy D. Fields

I failed! I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that I’m no longer able to foster dogs. The good news? It’s because I “foster failed.”  Foster failing is when you fall in love with your foster pet and that you couldn’t bear to think of losing them.

My foster Lacey was rescued from a breeder.  She was three years old, and her last litter had not survived so she was of no use to the breeder anymore. I don’t know exactly her living conditions, but it took her weeks to decompress. 

The first picture is when Lacey had recently arrived. When I came close to her crate, she would turn around in fear. Over time she would just watch me, always wanting to know where I was. She was the most frightened foster I had experienced.

After weeks of working with Lacey and having her fit in so well with my other pets, I couldn’t put her through another relocation. Who am I kidding? I couldn’t think of not having her in our family! 

I can see how a relationship with Jesus can be similar to Lacey’s relationship with me. At first she was afraid. But then when she kept her eyes on me, she saw how well I would love and care for her.  Lacey saw that this was a home where she would be a member of a family that is full of support, acceptance, and joy. 

If we all keep our eyes on Jesus and join the wonderful family of God, we too can live in peace and joy. 

“When they saw [Jesus] walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’” — Mark 6:49-50 (NRSVUE)